Refugi d'Amitges

Refugi d'Amitges is a high-mountain refuge located at 2,365 metres above sea level in the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, in the Pyrenees of Catalonia, Spain. It sits beside the Gran Llac d'Amitges (Lago Grande de Amitges) in the municipality of Espot, in the province of Lleida. The refuge is owned and operated by the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya (CEC), a historic Catalan hiking and mountaineering organisation, and is one of the network of staffed mountain huts that make up the Carros de Foc circuit, a 55 km traverse linking all the refuges inside the national park. The refuge provides accommodation, meals, drinks, blankets and hot showers for hikers, mountaineers and other visitors. It has 74 places in two shared dormitories. When the staffed section is open — in summer and on major holidays — full services are available; in winter, when the staffed section is closed, an emergency shelter with 12 places remains open. The building is a project of the CEC and its members, and members of the organisation enjoy benefits at the refuge and at affiliated huts worldwide. Amitges is a key staging point on the Carros de Foc route, lying between the Refugi Ernest Mallafré (1,890 m) to the south-east, near the Sant Maurici reservoir, and the Refugi de Saboredo to the north-east, reached via the 2,594 m Port de Ratera. The surrounding terrain is dominated by granite and shaped by Quaternary glaciation, with U-shaped valleys and glacial lakes. The area marks the upper limit of the mountain pine (Pinus uncinata), and is home to chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) and festuca grasses. From the refuge, excursions are offered to peaks including the Agulla Gran d'Amitges, the Amitges and Saboredo peaks, the Bassiero Oriental and Occidental, the Portarró peaks, the Ordigal, Ratera, Subenuix, Encantat Gran, Gran Tuc de Colomers and Peguera peaks. Access is on foot or by taxi. By car, visitors reach the national park car park at the Prats de Pierró from Espot; a well-marked trail, the Ruta del Isard, leads to Lake Sant Maurici in about an hour and on to the refuge in another hour and three-quarters. A contracted taxi service from Espot can drive directly to the refuge. The refuge is a commercial mountain hospitality operation within the CEC's network, offering lodging and food services to the public.

The Refugi d'Amitges was inaugurated on 25 September 1966, following improvement works on a barrack built during the construction of the dam on the Gran Llac d'Amitges (Embassament d'Amitges de Ratera). At that time, the refuge had a staffed section reserved exclusively for CEC members, with 16–18 places, and a free section with 35–40 places. In 1974, it became a staffed refuge: the members' area was converted into the winter free area, and the larger area became the staffed refuge. In 1984, further expansion works were carried out, and on 13 October a new building constructed over the old one was inaugurated, with running water supplied by a pipeline from the torrent that feeds the lake. In 1993, the refuge was equipped with solar panels. The refuge remains a project of the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya and its members, and continues to operate as a staffed mountain hut within the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park.

• 1993

  Refuge equipped with solar panels.

• 1984

  New building constructed over the old one inaugurated on 13 October, with running water from a pipeline.

• 1974

  Refuge becomes a staffed refuge; members' area converted to winter free area.

• 1966

  Refugi d'Amitges inaugurated on 25 September after improvement works on a barrack built during the dam construction.

A staffed high-mountain refuge in a protected national park, operated by Catalonia's leading hiking club, serving hikers and mountaineers on the Carros de Foc circuit.

• Staffed mountain refuge accommodation (74 places in two shared dormitories)

• Winter emergency shelter (12 places)

• Meals, drinks, blankets and hot showers

• Guided excursions to surrounding peaks

1. 1Refugi d'Amitges official websiteamitges.com
2. 2Refugi d'Amitges - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Refugio de Amitges - Wikipedia (Spanish)es.wikipedia.org